Allegiant Review

Hello!! It's been a really long time for me to write another book review because I've been so busy with school. Anyhow, I want to talk about Allegiant by Veronica Roth. Now, for those of you who are not familiar with the Divergent series, Allegiant is the final book of the trilogy, and it is supposed to unravel the questions that come up in the previous books. The book does a good job answering the questions; however, I don't find it thrilling. Yes, now we know why there are factions. And there are the GD and GP. Basically, Allegiant gives me a dull feeling about the setting. Tris and Four escape in the first place to find out truth, to seek security, and to avoid the chaotic violence inside the fence. But there are layers and layers of dissents and subgroups that at one point, I feel like they are all going to fail. I like that Four and Tris are able to stay honest with each other, but maybe it's the fact that this series has set my expectation too high, because after reading 200 pages, I just want to stop reading. The duo pov is confusing at times since the narrators' voices are more than similar. I still want to give credit to Veronica Roth, though, for finishing this amazing series. This book is a bit disappointing, but I can tell that she gave effort into it, and that's enough. P.S Tris' death is not as frustrating to me as it is to other readers, but I really wish it would've been another character, i.e Caleb.

My Feels After Finishing the Fault in Our Stars

I have an overabundance of obscure feelings right now. I find it very fascinating that the book is about teens battling with cancer instead of supernatural matters. The main character is not a Disney Princess, glamorous on the outside, or has the ability to exude a sense of beautiful tragedy through her affluent family. Hazel is a prosaic, yet extraordinary sixteen-year-old who falls in love with a handsome but problematic amputee who could not guarantee her a life long acquaintance. Augustus could, however, give her "a forever in the numbered days," which in all the ways surpasses the previous statement. What touches me the most about their love story is the simplicity within. "Okay" is their code of flirting, and an eye contact, a gesture, allows them to comprehend each other. They understand that they will die eventually, but they make the most out of their days, EVERY SINGLE DAY, even when Gus leads Issac to vandalize Monica's 1990 car (Love that scene, by the way). I also like Peter. Though  Peter is apparently the antagonist, he is portrayed very realistically. There is no unicorn or rainbow boo boo in the world. Though cruel, Peter's reaction is not entirely unexpected. Plus, he sounds like a messiah to me, as weird as it sounds. He carries Gus' last message to Hazel, and he him self represents a deprecated self after the death of a loved one. I love how the story ends, and I wouldn't change a bit of it if I were the author. Most importantly, the Fault in Our Stars teaches me to live with no regrets and to make the most out of every situation, even the desperate, hopeless ones. A fight without trying is a dead battle. Gus maybe in a better place now, analyzing the words of every being, but his heroism carries on. He is a martyr on a glorious battlefield. I love him too.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review Part 2

I finally finished the book!!! Hoorays! Forgive my lack of "flower knowledge," but I had to google what a wallflower is before starting to read the novel. According to google, "a wallflower is a shy or unpopular individual who doesn't socialize or participate in social events." The perk is the advantage of being something. I don't think I understood the meaning behind the title until the Christmas diary entry. The main character Charlie isn't a very talkative or popular person. He is truly a wallflower, for his mere visibility around his friends and family. He is never the center of attention. He is, however, the type of friend or family member that will be your support no matter what. And he is just so nice, so nice that I strongly believe people like this only exist in fictional stories.  At the Christmas party, only Sam and Patrick remember to give Charlie a present. Charlie, on the other hand, remembers to get everyone one, even if he isn't close to them. He is just so considerate; he puts his friends and family before him. How many 16-year-olds in this world can always do that for their loved ones? At least I know I can't. Towards the end of the novel, I wish Charlie tells Sam that he likes her. Not that this intrepid act will make a difference in their already friend zoned relationship, but I feel like it's the right thing to do. It's important for him to tell her that he likes her even if she can already tell. (Okay, fangirl is getting really emotional right now). Charlie buys a myriad of gifts for his friends throughout the novel, and his honest, pure, and sentimental character all make him my favorite fictional character to day.

A Scary Scary Sunday Not So Much Fun Day

Hello all! I woke up at eight this morning, which hasn't happened since my SAT class ended. Anyhow, I am surprised at how productive I've been today. First, I read the scary IB Lit Packet part 1. Let's just call it the house of usher, because that's much easier for me to type out. :) After that, I went to the library and continued my analysis homework for the story. I couldn't help but to think that Usher needs professional help. Wait no, everyone in literature needs help. Okay, maybe I need some help, too. The plot of the story is extremely vivid and haunting in its use of language. The main character Usher is a capricious, weak, and moody guy who is over-the- top superstitious with a surprisingly charismatic scent of nobility. His sister Lady Madeline is pure creepy. She reminds me so much of the employees at the Universal Studio Haunted House who, by the way, totally scared the living daylight out of me last year. To be honest, I'm very scared right now. AHHHH. No one should ever do lit homework at night. It's the easiest way to have a related nightmare at three in the morning. GOODBYE!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Review Part 1

           A very good friend of mine recommended me a book- The Perks of Being a Wallflower a while back. When I first got the book, I was automatically attracted to it because Emma Watson was on the cover. Typical response of a Harry Potter fan. Anyway, in the beginning, the novel reminded me of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, for its style in diary form to tell the story. But unlike the wimpy kid series, the Perks opened up with Michael's death and a mysterious scent since the narrator Charlie said that all the names in the diary are made-up. I ended up loving the story, though. Charlie's character was especially intriguing; he described his first year in high school with such a genuine and refreshing voice. He was an empathic, sentimental, and loyal guy who could be described as a "wallflower", someone who didn't say much but was there all along. He was there, anywhere, watching, observing, and protecting his friends, his family, and even strangers. It also shocked me how well the book portrayed the modern American culture. The parties, drinking habits, school worries, grades, sexual orientation, and popularity are all the problems that teens face nowadays. I love the book for its realism, for Charlie, for Patrick and Sam, and for the book's prosaic yet sentimental writing style. I'll try to update more once I finish the book!

And here is my favorite quote about Charlie by Patrick in the story: "You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand."

The Joy Luck Club

The Joy Luck Club is the first book that I have read for IB English I. Throughout the course of Lit & Comp 10, my teacher had already shown bits and pieces of the story. The book is about the mother & daughter relationship in four immigrant families with each character telling a story from her own perspective. The way the story is told reminds me of Seed Folks in ways; there are many short chapters in the book, and they all seem independent but relevant to the overall plot. The mothers describe their often arduous experiences, and those experiences usually result in the way they raise their daughters. It surprises me how the mothers' good intentions are usually carried out the wrong way and therefore caused fights and bickers with their daughters. The daughters, being raised the American way, have trouble to understand the good intentions, the Chinese humility, and why their mothers are the way they are. In the very end, though, all the daughters realize the importance of their mothers' words and their unspeakable influence on them. The Joy Luck Club is a book about clashes of cultural differences, acceptance of one's heritage, as well as the understanding of the profound and essential bond that exists between every mother and daughter. It's worth a read.

Despicable Me 2!!!

After a month of patient waiting, my friend and I finally watched the famous Despicable Me 2. To be honest, the first movie raised my expectation, so I wasn't expecting the second movie to be too good. I WAS WRONG. DEAD WRONG. I really like the second movie, better than the first one in some ways. Lucy Wilde, the new addition, is a superb character. Her role in the movie makes the whole production more interesting and different from the original Despicable Me. As always, the minions are adorable, always craving for their bananas and play time. Agnes still has her unicorn collections along with Edith and her ninja accoutrements. Margo is all grown up now; she even has a date! Of course in the end that guy cheated on her, but girl, you are too young for boys! Red Flag. El macho is like the villain in this movie. Actually, my favorite scene is probably the one where Gru described how El macho died the first time. It is rumored that El macho had dynamites wrapped around his body while riding a shark to the... Volcano. How dump can you be, El macho?  Though the way he died is fairly stupid, he is still a very entertaining character. El A
macho, his chest hair, and his secret salsa recipe all surprised me in good ways; well, maybe not the chest hair. Anyhow, I was so happy for Gru and Lucy when they finally got married in the end. Agnes' toast is the cutest.

I Like...

          Don't want to come off as egocentric, but I realize that the posts about myself generally get a lot more views compared to the posts about other things. And yes, I want views. For an ego boost or whatever other reason that can convince you. So, this post will give a glimpse in terms of the things I like. Here we go, ready to be BLUED away? Here it is.

1.) I like the word waffle. I don't usually eat waffle or say the word. But when I do eat and say the word though, I love it! I think waffle is a better version of pancake regarding to its taste and its sound. Also, don't you think it's so fun to say "waffle"?

2.) I like Forever 21. I didn't add the word "shop"because most things in my wardrobe don't come from Forever 21, but it's still one of my favorite stores. It's always fun to see the bling and the trends there. The necklaces there are gorgeous and affordable. For someone who is obsessed with accessories, it's like a heaven. Like literally.

3.) I like to read memoirs. Memoir is my favorite genre to read because non-fictional stories always appeal better to me than science fictions and fantasies. (There are a lot of good sci-fi and fantasies though, like the Divergent series and Harry Potter).

4.) I like to watch the Food Network. For someone who can't cook at all, this one is really strange. It's a habit of mine to prop myself on the couch and drool over whatever that Guy from 164 is tasting at the time. It's not fair!! I decided to cook one day; I baked cookies! For some devilish reasons, cute cookies turned out to be a cookie cake disaster. I won't give up, though. Someday, somewhere, I'll be an excellent cook. I just know it.

5.) I like the smell of grass. Grass' smell somehow refreshes my mind every time I go nearby, and I love it. It's like a stress- reliever and painkiller to me. Going back to third grade when I first moved from Shanghai to Hong Kong, I was fascinated by how much grass there is on the way to my school. It's a mesmerizing aroma that I will never forget.

Things I also like that I won't go into detail:
* The song Sparks Fly by Taylor Swift
* Use the word "though" in my writing (Shows how much I like to contradict myself ;p)
* Cute school supplies
* Necklaces
* Travel
* Take pictures of my best friend when she is asleep and drooling on the bedspread
* The Movie Despicable Me
* Angry Birds games
* When people smile
* When people are in a good mood because of me
* Crackers and yogurts with lots of ice-cream (No, I don't eat them at once)
* You who are reading this post right now
* The color minty green
* Bookmarks
* Sticky notes and hi lighters
* All the pixar movies really
* Other things that I'm too lazy to list out

If you are still reading this post, you are truly an incredible human being. I'm sorry for being extremely preachy and detailed about myself. The reason for that is because you know... I'm awesome!!! No, just kidding :D Although I never know who actually reads my writings, it's still great to know that there are people out there that are willing to put their time on me. Ooh, that sounds weird.

Anyways, good night!!

Foreigner Stereotypes

Recently, I read a memoir called Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas. Many parts of the story reminded me of my own experiences and the reason for that is because I, like the author, had moved to the United States from an other country. Dumas uses a lighthearted tone to depict her memories; she isn't afraid to retell her somewhat mortifying experiences and to introduce her family members in hilarious ways. One of the most memorable chapter from the book is the one about the stereotypes that the author encountered back in the 1970s. Automatically, her classmates pictured all Iranians as terrorists, that the inhabitants owned numerous camels, and the fact that they were just very, very foreign. Back when I first moved to the states couple years ago, my classmates had asked me if Chinese people really eat dogs, never take shower, and that everyone in the country was a math genius. Of course, I was like "NO. NO. YES." Just kidding. :) Not everyone is good at math, and we certainly won't consume dogs in meals. What a ridicule that is! As much as I despise the ridiculous stereotypes, I actually had those stereotypes too before coming to America. Like every other child who had never gone abroad, I wondered all aspects of the country. Five years ago, I pictured America with loads of obese people, streets and streets of fast food restaurants, and handful of rich people. I had the impression that all Americans have blond hair and blue eyes with the cities filled with massive edifices and crowds of people. Okay, maybe my impression of America was merely scenes from a typical Hollywood movie, but it was all I knew; all that I could imagine at the time. So who am I to judge when I am problematic also? The ultimate solution that I came up with two minutes ago is to really educate ourselves before making any assumptions. Assumptions are never wise to make.

Modern Family

It's finally summer!! First of all, I apologize for not updating this blog in so long, but hopefully, I'll be able to blog more this three months. Modern family has been my favorite show since I first watched it last year. It's relaxing, funny, and witty in so many ways. Moreover, it portrays three normal families and their typical yet interesting daily lives. Personally, I am not really into sci-fi and fantasy shows/movies/books; I prefer the ones that are close to the lives that we, the viewers, live in. My favorite family is Jay's family. Jay and Gloria's marriage is like many mixed family's, except that Jay is probably richer. Teehee. I'm currently catching up the first season, and it's really good!!! I love the "Undeck the Halls" episode, which is about Christmas in the three families. From Manny and Gloria's innocente pranks to Jay's surprise firework to the Dunphy family's heartwarming Christmas morning, every single scene seems so real and so touching. My favorite part of every episode is the music in the very end; it's a well touch up, and it's very suitable to the contents. Modern family is my favorite comedy show of all time.

Quirky Things About Me

Yes, I know I'm unique just like everyone else, but there is still a list of peculiar things that I do/like which don't always seem ordinary.

1.) I LOVE STICKY NOTES!!!! Sticky notes is seriously one of the best inventions in the world. Whoever invented sticky notes, just want to give a huge shutout to you. You are a hero. My favorite sticky note color is green, because it makes me feel calm and happy for various reasons. I'm so obsessed with sticky notes that at one point, I bought over 10 packs in a week. Those were with different patterns, "personalities," and styles.

2.) Cartoon is better than Pretty Little Liars. While other girls at my age are obsessed with Pretty Little Liars or Gray's Anatomy, I'm still living in my semi-realistic world. I love Phineas and Ferb, the Powerpuff Girls, you name it. The following statement may seem embarrassing, but I still watched Special Agent Oso and Handy Mandy in my eighth grade year. It'd be great to watch these shows now, but my day is stuffed with too many other things. My point is, cartoon is never out-of-date, it's like water and other necessities that I just can't live without.

3.) Visual imagery has taken over half of my life. I daydream, a little too much to be precise. When I was younger, I tended to imagine myself as a teacher, bossing kids around and handing them chores to do. I'm not a dictator, just a leader of the poor, young souls. Nowadays, I imagine myself as an educated young woman who is constantly battling with the disasters that the current generation has brought and struggling to make a better day for----- the extraterrestrials. I'm a double agent.

4.) Branches are wands. This, I can't blame myself. Blame Harry Potter!!! The heroic image is planted deeply in my fist-size heart, and whenever I see a branch laying on the pavement, I always think it's Hogwarts' hidden message to me that I'm about to be the next childhood hero to everyone in the world. What I did next in the past years was to cast a spell, like turning my friend into a parrot one year, and as you may know, it didn't work. :( I guess this ties to that visual imagery part.

5.) Brad Pitt or Bread Pitt. Whenever someone says Brad Pitt, I always think of him like some type of bread. Like, it's only one letter short, but it makes a huge difference. As sad as it may sound, I would like Brad Pitt a lot better if he is known as Bread Pitt. Who doesn't like bread anyways? At least I do. Bread, I love you.

So here are the facts. I hope I blew your mind, in a good way or the other, it's up to you.

I Dare You To....

Hello bloggers!! This is going to be a "I Dare You" post, a post that's designed to different people with different challenges. If you can take my challenges, then I'll give you all my possessions in the next life time. :D

Numba 1

To all the people who care too much about grades like I am: I dare you to never get upset when you get bad grades on assessments. Go out party, please, with the Harry Potter collection and some chocolate milk club members.

Numba 2

To all the people who don't read a lot of books: I dare you to build a beach-style castle with books instead of sand. You have to give it a name that's related to a bestseller book and if possible, write a title using the literary devices. ( Like: The coolest coolest coolest coolest Turtle Like Paradise = Repetition+Simile).

Numba 3

To all the people who care a lot about nutrition and health but are not good at math: I dare you to calculate all the calories you eat with your pencil and no calculator. Do it everyday for 50 years and I ensure you that your mathematical skills will improve drastically. You don't need 50 years,  in just 50 days, you will add/subtract/multiply/divide like no other.

Numba 4

To all the Shakespeare Lovers: I dare you to....Please, please please please, translate all our beloved play writer's work into Modern English. People in the Numba 1 and Numba 2 column will appreciate you so so much. You will be one of our biggest heroes of all time!

Numba 5

To all the people whose favorite number is 4: I dare you to never end a post with only 4 sections just because you love it and the fact that you are superstitious. End your post with 5 sections next time and all the time.

And no, my favorite number is not 4. If you fall for that then, Numba 6, I dare you to never make random assumptions again in the next consecutive 20 lifetimes.

Lord of the Flies is a Pig Head??

In Lit, we are reading Lord of the Flies. Some people say it's a boring book, but I find it very very interesting. Sure, some parts are more violent than the others, but come on, Jack, Ralph, Piggy, and Simon are just so fun to read about. I'm on Chapter 8 right now and I have just found out that the title, Lord of the Flies, is actually the sow's bloody head???!!!! What? I get that the flies are surrounding the rotten pig head, but the flies part is also a part of the title? Now I get why there is a huge fly on the cover with.. Piggy?! Again, surprise surprise. I'm guessing that Piggy's death (probably) is going to be related to Lord of the Flies. Wow, now I look at the title so much differently from before. The pig's head represents fear, desire, and power. Fear is my favorite one because I am starting to trace back to the previous chapters and realize that the "beast" is the littleuns' nightmares. They have never actually seen the beast, and the man with the parachute is just a hallucination from their fear. They are scaring themselves for the whole time. But the situation is totally conceivable, because while doing this homework, I've managed to circle all my stuff animals around me in a ring shape, and still scared!!! It's not a good idea to do this homework at night while being alone in the house!!

Let The "Torture" Begin

Hello friends and friends!!! I'm extra enthusiastic at 2am. :) :) Just kidding. I just finished my odd day homework, and for some reason, I actually don't want to go to sleep right now, so I'd like to update you guys on my life. So, last week was the forecasting week for my school, which means that I was going to go through one of the most conflicted weeks that I'll have in a year. I've been planning and adding up credits long before last week; things were going smoothly until THEY CHANGED CLASSES!? It's fine, really, but I have to rearrange them now. I did by the way, and I think it's great. Since I'll be a Junior next year, it means that I'm on my way to the intimidating IB Diploma Program. It wasn't intimidating to me two months ago, not before my Junior and Senior friends told me the stress+workload of it. To be honest, it does seem to be dreadful now since I've been seeing their extra-dark circles 24-7. Will it be a torture? We'll see. But whatever it is, I'm willing to try it, and NOT DROP OUT! NOPE! I won't drop out, and I'll tell you guys more about IB! Hopefully I'll make through the two years with at least some sort of sleep.

Daily

Heya :D Muahahaha, my friend always does that! Anyhow, I can't come up with something creative to write about, so I'll just update you guys on my life. Let's start. First of all, this had been an extremely long and bad week for me. Second semester started on Monday, which means that I'm having an almost -brand-new schedule. I don't like having a new schedule, because it's going to take me a long time to adapt the people and the environment. Secondly, I couldn't talk properly; I either messed up the -ish words or the -er words. Third, I didn't even have that much homework this week, yet I still felt totally exhausted. Yesterday, I was furiously scribing radicals and exponents on my poor graphing paper while counting down the days till summer. "aler, aler," my e-mail notifications popped up. "Wow, what a distraction." I was irritated, but I checked anyways. It turned out that I won a contest which I entered a long time ago; I was so happy that I almost fell off my chair. So I guess the moral is to never give up on life; just as I was about to give up, something amazing happened. It really taught me to look forward to things, even if I just experienced the worst day.